Decorative elements provided with a curled or crimped configuration at point of sale or point of use

ABSTRACT

Decorative grass and methods of providing same are disclosed wherein the decorative grass is either maintained in flattened configuration until restraint is removed and/or the decorative grass is curled and/or crimp at the point of use and/or sale.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,059,filed Oct. 1, 2002; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/799,980,filed Mar. 6, 2001, now abandoned; U.S. Ser. No. 10/263,059 is also acontinuation-in-part of U.S. Ser. No. 10/068,241, filed Feb. 6, 2002;which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No. 09/538,412, filed Mar. 29,2000, now abandoned; which is a continuation of U.S. Ser. No.09/226,321, filed Jan. 2, 1999, now abandoned; which is a continuationof U.S. Ser. No. 08/796,182, filed Feb. 7, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No.5,891,286, issued Apr. 6, 1999.

STATEMENT REGARDING FEDERALLY SPONSORED RESEARCH OR DEVELOPMENT

Not Applicable.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to decorative elements and decorativegrass and methods for producing same, and more particularly, but not byway of limitation, to decorative elements and decorative grass providedin a substantially flat configuration which, upon activation, assumes acurled or crimped configuration at the point of sale or point of use, aswell as methods for producing same.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Decorative grass has been used for many years in Easter baskets and forother decorative purposes. The decorative grass of the prior art hasbeen produced by numerous methods and from a variety of materials suchas polymeric materials, paper or the like. Typically, such materials arecut and shredded to produce segments having predetermined dimensions.One such prior art method for making decorative grass is disclosed inU.S. Pat. No. 4,292,266, issued to Weder et al. on Sep. 29, 1981,wherein a plastic film is extruded and cut into plastic strips which arepassed through a slow-speed godet, an oven and a high-speed godet sothat the strips are drawn down in width and thickness without breaking.From the high-speed godet, the strips or strands are chopped to adesired length and conveyed to a storage area for subsequent bagging andpackaging.

Traditionally, the decorative grasses are provided as individual,unattached segments of decorative grass. Such segments of decorativegrass may be provided with certain conformations which provide volumeand bulk to the packaging. For example, U.S. Ser. No. 09/586,901,entitled “METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING CURLED DECORATIVE GRASS”,which is hereby expressly incorporated herein by reference, discloses amethod of providing curled configurations to decorative grass to provideimproved bulk and volume to the decorative grass.

While the prior art methods for making decorative grass have been widelyaccepted, new and improved methods for making, packaging, storing,shipping and displaying decorative grasses are being sought. It is tosuch decorative grasses and methods for producing same that the presentinvention is directed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to decorative grasses and methods forproducing same. Broadly, the present invention relates to decorativegrasses produced in a substantially flat configuration which, uponactivation, can assume a curled or crimped configuration, preferably atthe point of sale or point of use, as well as improved methods ofpackaging, storing, shipping and displaying such decorative grasses.Such decorative grasses can also be utilized for non-decorativepurposes, such as packing material, animal bedding, cat litter, mulchfor soil and media for plants. In addition, the present invention alsorelates to decorative elements, such as glitter, which are produced in asimilar manner and which can be activated to assume a three-dimensionalconfiguration, as well as methods for producing same.

An object of the present invention is to provide a decorative grasshaving a substantially flat configuration which can be curled or crimpedat a point of sale or point of use.

Another object of the present invention, while achieving thebefore-stated object, is to provide a method for producing a decorativegrass having a substantially flat configuration which can be curled orcrimped at a point of sale or point of use.

Yet another object of the present invention, while achieving thebefore-stated objects, is to provide a method for producing decorativeelements having a substantially flat configuration which can beactivated to assume a three-dimensional configuration.

Other objects, features and advantages of the present invention willbecome apparent from the following detailed description when read inconjunction with the accompanying drawings and appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the sheet or webof laminated material having a distortion set therein.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a first sheet or web of material and asecond sheet or web of material from which the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial of FIG. 1 is constructed, the first sheet or web of materialbeing provided with a length which is less than a length of the secondsheet or web of material.

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the first and second sheets or webs ofmaterial of FIG. 2 wherein the length of the first sheet or web ofmaterial has been stretched so that such length is the same as thelength of the second sheet or web of material.

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialhaving a substantially flat configuration.

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 4 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material is curled.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 4 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material is crimped.

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the sheet or webof laminated material constructed from a sheet or web of material havinga substantially flat configuration and a sheet or web of heat shrinkablematerial.

FIG. 8 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 7 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material has beenexposed to heat.

FIG. 9 is a perspective view of a sheet or web of laminated materialconstructed in accordance with the present invention, the sheet or webof laminated material formed of a sheet or web of material having asubstantially flat configuration and a sheet or web of material having ahygroscopic agent disposed thereon.

FIG. 10 is a perspective view of the sheet or web of laminated materialof FIG. 9 wherein the sheet or web of laminated material has beenexposed to moisture.

FIG. 11 is a schematic representation of a system for producingdecorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 11A is a schematic representation of a first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 11.

FIG. 12 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a systemfor producing decorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 12A is a schematic representation of a first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 12, wherein the first set of blades may disengage the second set ofblades.

FIG. 12B is a perspective view of strands of decorative grass producedfrom the system for producing decorative grass of FIG. 12 wherein thestrands of decorative grass are connected to a header.

FIG. 13 is a schematic representation of another embodiment of a systemfor producing decorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 13A is a schematic representation of a first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 13.

FIG. 14 is a schematic representation of yet another embodiment of asystem for producing decorative grass in accordance with the presentinvention wherein a first set of blades of the system for producingdecorative grass are provided with a radius notch.

FIG. 14A is a schematic representation of the first set of blades and asecond set of blades of the system for producing decorative grass ofFIG. 14.

FIG. 14B is a perspective view of strands of decorative grass producedfrom the system for producing decorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein thestrands of decorative grass are connected to a header.

FIG. 15 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is partially in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 16 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 17 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is partially in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 18 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein a small portion of the radius notchof the first set of blades is in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 19 is a schematic representation of the system for producingdecorative grass of FIG. 14 wherein the radius notch of the first set ofblades is not in contact with the second set of blades.

FIG. 20 is a schematic representation of yet another system forproducing decorative grass in accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 20A is a schematic representation of a set of blades disposed on ablade mandrel and in contact with a hardened mandrel of the system forproducing decorative grass of FIG. 20.

FIG. 21 is another embodiment of a system for producing decorative grassin accordance with the present invention.

FIG. 21A is a schematic representation of a set of blades disposed on ablade mandrel and in contact with a hardened mandrel of the system forproducing decorative grass of FIG. 21, wherein the blade mandrel may beraised such that the set of blades are disengaged from the hardenedmandrel.

FIG. 21B is a perspective view of strands of decorative grass producedfrom the system for producing decorative grass of FIG. 21 wherein thestrands of decorative grass are connected to a header.

FIG. 22 is a perspective view of a pair of crosslaid layers of curlablesegments of decorative grass wherein the curlable segments are connectedto a header.

FIG. 23 is a perspective view of a pair of crosslaid layers of curledsegments of decorative grass wherein the curled segments are connectedto a header.

FIG. 24 is a partially cutaway perspective view of a package containinga plurality of sheets of curlable material, the sheets containing aplurality of segments connected to a header and the package having acurling tool connected thereto.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a decorative grass having anactivatable curling agent. Such decorative grass is produced by cuttingor shredding a sheet or web of material having the activatable curlingagent disposed thereon or incorporated therein. Individual strands ofdecorative grass produced therefrom are provided with a substantiallyflat configuration, and the strands of decorative grass will remain flatuntil heated, wetted, treated with a solvent or other methods known inthe art to activate the curling agent and thereby produce curls in thestrands of decorative grass. Optionally, upon activation, the strands ofdecorative grass may be provided with crimps or a combination of crimpsand curls, depending on the distribution of activatable curling agent onthe strands of decorative grass. Such decorative grass could be shippedand stored in a flattened condition and curled at or near the point ofuse so as to reduce freight costs, warehousing space and shelf space ina retail outlet.

The present invention also relates to decorative grass which is producedwith a curled or crimped configuration and retained in the flattenedform at the production stage, as well as decorative grass allowed tocurl at the production stage and re-flattened following production. Suchdecorative grass is then stored, shipped and displayed in the flattenedform with the decorative grass being released to curl or crimp at ornear the point of use. The curl or crimp could be retained in theflattened form by putting the decorative grass or the sheet or web ofmaterial from which the decorative grass is produced in a bag or otherpackage of sufficient rigidity to prevent the material from curling orcrimping. Optionally, the sheet or web of material or the decorativegrass formed therefrom may be wound onto a roll. In a furtheralternative, the individual segments or strands of decorative grass mayremain attached to an attachment area or header and the attachment areaor header may be formed of another piece of material or to a dissimilarmaterial such as cardboard, and the decorative grass may be retained inthe flattened form by holding the attachment area or header withstaples, adhesive, clips or other materials. For example, strands ofdecorative grass which have already been stretched so as to enable theircurling when tension is released may be wrapped around a flat piece ofplastic or cardboard so as to keep them in the flattened conditionduring storage and shipping. Such decorative grass may be released andallowed to curl or crimp at the point of sale or point of use by cuttingor tearing the strands or segments of decorative grass from theattachment area or header or by simply freeing the attachment area orheader from the rigid package and allowing the grass to curl or crimpwhile remaining attached at one or more attachment areas or headers. Theattachment areas or headers provide an additional advantage in that theykeep the strands or segments of decorative grass together in a neatbundle which provides for a decorative appearance but which also providea cushioning effect so as to prevent damage to contents of baskets orboxes or other packages while avoiding the problem of having to clean upspilled strands of decorative grass.

The present invention also relates to an assembly and method forproducing curled decorative grass at or near the point of use and/orsale of the curled decorative grass. To provide a curled or crimpeddecorative grass at or near a point of use or sale, at least one sheetor web of material is provided at or near the point of sale, the atleast one sheet or web of material capable of having a curled impartedthereto. A curl or crimp is formed in the at least one sheet or web ofmaterial at or near the point of sale or use to form a distortiontherein. The distorted sheet or web of material is then cut into strandsof decorative grass at or near the point of sale or use of thedecorative grass.

Another method of providing a decorative grass at or near the point ofuse or sale is to provide at least one curled sheet or web of materialat or near a point of sale or use. Pressure is maintained on the atleast one curled sheet or web of material so that the curled sheet orweb of material is maintained in a substantially flat configuration.While maintained in the substantially flat configuration the curledsheet or web of material is cut into strands of decorative grass at ornear the point of sale or use. If desired, the curled sheet or web ofmaterial can maintained in a non-flattened condition at or near thepoint of sale in which case the curled sheet or web of material is cutinto strands at or near the point of use or sale while in thenon-flattened condition.

As previously stated, the present invention also relates to an assemblyfor producing curled decorative grass at or near a point of use or sale.The assembly includes an enclosure containing a plurality of sheets orweb of material capable of having a curl imparted thereto. The enclosureis provided with an opening for permitting removal of at least one sheetat a time or at least a portion of the web of material from theenclosure. The enclosure is positioned at or near a point of sale or useof the curl of decorative grass. A curling tool capable of imparting acurl to the sheet or at least a portion of the web of material is alsoprovided such that when at least one of the sheets or at least a portionof the web of material is withdrawn from the enclosure and brought intocontact with the curling tool, a curled sheet of material or curled webof material is produced at or near the point of sale or use ofdecorative grass. Thereafter, the curled sheets or the curled web ofmaterial are cut to provide decorative grass at or near the point ofsale or use of the decorative grass with a cutting tool.

If desired, the sheets of material can be provided with a plurality ofsegments which are connected to a header. The sheets of material, oncecurled, can then be separated, if desired, by cutting the segments offthe header. Further, it should be noted that the sheets of materialand/or web of material can already have a curl imparted thereto, and ifthe sheets of material are provided with a plurality of side by sidesegments, such side by side segments may be connected to a header whichcan be removed at or near the point of sale or use of the decorativegrass.

Description of FIGS. 1-3

Referring now to the Drawings, shown in FIG. 1 is a sheet or web oflaminated material 10 from which decorative grass can be produced inaccordance with the present invention, the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 10 having a distortion set therein. The distortion isillustrated as being a curl; however, it should be understood that thedistortion may also be at least one crimp, as will be described in moredetail hereinafter. The sheet or web of laminated material 10 is formedof a first sheet or web of material 12 and a second sheet or web ofmaterial 14. The sheet or web of laminated material 10 has an uppersurface 16, a lower surface 18, a length 20 and a width 22.

Any sheet or web of material capable of being laminated to another sheetor web of material and capable of having a curl or crimp impartedthereto can be employed as the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14.However, desirable results can be achieved wherein the sheets or webs ofmaterial 12 and 14 are constructed from materials selected from thegroup consisting of paper, creped paper, polymeric film, wax paper,paper having a shape sustaining agent or laquer applied to at least aportion of one surface thereof, foil, metallized film, cloth, burlap andany combination or lamination thereof. The sheets or webs of material 12and 14 may be provided with any thickness, as long as the sheets or websof material 12 and 14 can function in accordance with the presentinvention. Desirably, each of the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14are provided with a thickness in a range of from about 0.1 mil to about30 mil.

At least one of the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 may be providedwith a printed pattern and/or an embossed pattern disposed on at least aportion of one surface thereof, and the embossed pattern may be eitherin register or out of register with the printed pattern, or a portion ofthe embossed pattern may be in register with the printed pattern and aportion of the embossed pattern may be out of register with the printedpattern. The sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 may also vary incolor.

As shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the first sheet or web of material 12 of thesheet or web of laminated material 10 is provided with an upper surface24, a lower surface 26, a length 28 and a width 30. The second sheet orweb of material 14 of the sheet or web of laminated material 10 isprovided with an upper surface 32, a lower surface 34, a length 36 and awidth 38. The first sheet or web of material 12 is provided with adimension which is less than the associated dimension of the secondsheet or web of material 14; that is, the width 30 of the first sheet orweb of material 12 may be less than the width 38 of the second sheet orweb of material 14, or the length 28 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 12 may be less than the length 36 of the second sheet or web ofmaterial 14. The first sheet or web of material 12 is thus stretched inone dimension to provide such dimension with the same size as theassociated dimension of the second sheet or web of material 14, and thenthe two sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 are laminated together. Forexample, as shown in FIG. 2, the length 28 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 12 is less than the length 36 of the second sheet or web ofmaterial 14, and as shown in FIG. 3, the first sheet or web of material12 is stretched lengthwise so that the length 28 thereof issubstantially the same as the length 36 of the second sheet or web ofmaterial 14. Following stretching of the first sheet or web of material12, the two sheets or webs of material 12 and 14 are laminated togetherto form the sheet or web of laminated material 10, substantially asshown in FIG. 1. Following lamination, the length 28 of the first sheetor web of material 12 contracts back to its original size, therebycausing a curl to be formed in the length 20 of the sheet or web oflaminated material 10, as shown in FIG. 1. Decorative grass formed fromthe sheet or web of laminated material 10 shown in FIG. 1 will possess atorsion spring type curl if the sheet or web of laminated material 10 iscut in the direction of stretch, while the decorative grass will possessa helical spring curl if the sheet or web of laminated material 10 iscut at an angle to the direction of stretch. Such methods of providing apreset curl in a laminated material are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No.5,891,286, entitled “METHODS OF FORMING CURLED OR CRIMPED DECORATIVEELEMENTS HAVING AN OPTICAL EFFECT”, issued to Weder on Apr. 6, 1999, theSpecification of which is hereby expressly incorporated herein byreference.

However, prior to allowing the sheet or web of laminated material 10 toassume a curled configuration, the substantially flat sheet or web oflaminated material 10 may be disposed in a bag or package of sufficientrigidity and size to retain the sheet or web of laminated material 10 ina substantially flat configuration, thus preventing the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 from curling. In addition, the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 may be provided in the form of a roll of material,and the process of winding the sheet or web of material 10 onto the rollwill provide sufficient pressure and rigidity to maintain the sheet orweb of laminated material 10 in a substantially flat configuration untila portion of the sheet or web of laminated material 10 is unwound fromthe roll, thereby allowing such portion to assume the distortedconfiguration, i.e., a curled configuration. The process of cutting orshredding the sheet or web of laminated material 10 to provide strandsof decorative grass will be discussed in detail herein after withregards to FIGS. 11-21B. In addition, the individual strands ofdecorative grass formed from the sheet or web of laminated material 10may be held together at attachment points, as will be discussed ingreater detail herein below, thereby providing easier manipulation ofthe strands of decorative grass, such as for placing between two piecesof cardboard or winding onto a roll.

Description of FIGS. 4-6

Shown in FIG. 4 is a sheet or web of laminated material 50 from whichdecorative grass may be produced in accordance with the presentinvention. The sheet or web of laminated material 50 is similar to thesheet or web of laminated material 10 described in detail herein above,except the sheet or web of laminated material 50 is produced in asubstantially flat configuration and does not have a preset distortiontherein. The sheet or web of laminated material 50 may be curled orcrimped by any method known in the art before or after cutting orshredding the sheet or web of laminated material to produce strands ofdecorative grass, as will be described in detail hereinafter.

The sheet or web of laminated material 50 has an upper surface 52, alower surface 54, a length 56 and a width 58. The sheet or web oflaminated material 50 is formed of a first sheet or web of material 60and a second sheet or web of material 62. The sheets or webs of material60 and 62 may be constructed of the same materials and in a similarmanner as the sheets or webs of material 12 and 14.

Following lamination of the first sheet or web of material 60 to thesecond sheet or web of material 62 to form the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 50, the sheet or web of laminated material 50 may be curled toprovide a curled sheet or web of laminated material 50 a, as shown inFIG. 5, or crimped to provide a crimped sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 50 b, as shown in FIG. 6. Methods and apparatus for providing asheet of material with a curl or a crimp are described in detail in U.S.Pat. No. 5,891,286, which has previously been incorporated herein byreference. However, the present invention is not limited to the use ofsuch methods and apparatus, and any method know in the art for providinga curl or crimp to a sheet or web of material may be utilized inaccordance with the present invention.

Following production of the curled sheet or web of laminated material 50a or the crimped sheet or web of laminated material 50 b, such sheet orweb of laminated material 50 a or 50 b may be cut or shredded asdescribed hereinafter with reference to FIGS. 11-21B to form strands ofdecorative grass which are curled or crimped. However, the strands ofdecorative grass may be retained in a substantially flat configurationduring shipping and storage and may not assume the curled or crimpedconfiguration until at the point of sale or point of use. The sheet orweb of laminated material 50 may be provided with a curl or crimptherein as described above, and the curled sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 50 a or the crimped sheet or web of laminated material 50 b maybe maintained in the substantially flat configuration by placing suchsheet or web of laminated material 50 a or 50 b in a rigid, strainedconfiguration, such as by applying pressure thereto by placing suchsheet or web of laminated material 50 a or 50 b between two pieces ofcardboard or winding such sheet or web of laminated material 50 a or 50b onto a roll. Following shredding to form strands of decorative grass(as described herein below), the strands of decorative grass may be heldin a rigid, strained configuration in a similar fashion as describedabove with reference to the sheet or web of laminated material 10 havinga preset distortion therein of FIG. 1 to maintain the decorative grassin a substantially flat configuration until curling or crimping isdesired, such as at the point of sale or point of use. That is, thestrands of decorative grass formed from the curled sheet or web oflaminated material 50 a (FIG. 5) or the crimped sheet or web oflaminated material 50 b (FIG. 6) may be held in a substantially flatconfiguration by placing the strands of decorative grass between twopieces of cardboard or by winding the strands of decorative grass on aroll. When desired to provide curling or crimping to the strands ofdecorative grass, the strands of decorative grass are removed frombetween the two pieces of cardboard or upon unwinding of the strands ofdecorative grass, thereby releasing the tension and pressure placed onthe strands of decorative grass and providing a curled or crimpedconfiguration thereto. Individual strands of decorative grass formedfrom the curled or crimped sheets or webs of laminated material 50 a or50 b may be held together at attachment points, as will be discussed indetail herein below, thereby providing easier manipulation of thestrands of decorative grass, such as by placing same between two piecesor cardboard of winding onto a roll.

While the sheet or web of laminated material 50 used in the methodsdescribed herein before with reference to FIGS. 4-6 is laminated, it isto be understood that the invention is not limited to the use of alaminated material in such a method. That is, a sheet or web ofunlamented material i.e. a single sheet or web of material, may beutilized in a similar manner as described hereinbefore with reference toFIGS. 4-6 whereby the sheet or web of unlaminated material is curled orcrimped and then cut or shredded to provide strands of decorative grass,and the sheet or web of unlaminated material or the strands ofdecorative grass formed therefrom are maintained in a substantially flatconfiguration until same are curled and/or crimped. The sheet or web ofunlaminated material may be provided with a substantially flatconfiguration following curling and/or crimping and prior to cutting orshredding to form decorative grass, or the sheet or web of unlaminatedmaterial may maintain the curled and/or crimped configuration, andfollowing cutting or shredding thereof to form strands of decorativegrass, pressure may be applied to temporarily provide a substantiallyflat configuration to the strands of decorative grass which ismaintained until curling and/or crimping is desired, such as at thepoint of sale or point of use.

In addition, the invention also includes a sheet or web of unlamentedmaterial formed of two or more sheets or webs of material which areunconnected. In this manner, the decorative grass is a mixture or two ormore materials which are comingled and have the same crimped and/orcurled configuration.

Description of FIGS. 7-10

Shown in FIG. 7 is a sheet or web of laminated material 70 from whichdecorative grass can be produced in accordance with the presentinvention. The sheet or web of laminated material 70 has an uppersurface 72, a lower surface 74, a length 76 and a width 78.

The sheet or web of laminated material 70 includes a first sheet or webof material 80 and a second sheet or web of material 82. The secondsheet or web of material 82 is provided with a substantially flatconfiguration. The second sheet or web of material 82 may be constructedof any material capable of having another sheet or web of materiallaminated thereto and capable of functioning as described herein. Forexample, the second sheet or web of material 82 may be constructed frompaper, creped paper, polymeric film, wax paper, paper having a shapesustaining agent or laquer applied to at least a portion of one surfacethereof, foil, metallized film, cloth, burlap and any combination orlamination thereof.

The first sheet or web of material 80 is constructed of a material whichis provided with a substantially flat configuration, but which contractsor shrinks when exposed to a sufficient level of heat, while the secondsheet or web of material 82 does not react by shrinking when exposed tothe same temperature or sufficient level of heat as the first sheet orweb of material 80. That is, the first sheet or web of material 80shrinks at a lower temperature than the second sheet or web of material82, or the first and second sheets or webs of material 80 and 82 bothshrink in response to heat but at differential rates in the sametemperature range. In this manner, the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 70 may be shredded or cut to produce decorative grass whereinthe individual strands of decorative grass are provided with asubstantially linear, flat configuration. The strands of decorativegrass may be packaged, stored, shipped and displayed in such asubstantially linear, flat configuration, allowing the consumer to curlthe decorative grass at the point of sale or use by heating the strandsof decorative grass, such as by exposure of the decorative grass to ahair dryer or an oven, or by placing same between two sheets ofcardboard in a microwave oven (so as to absorb the microwave energy). Inthis manner, the substantially flat, individual strands of decorativegrass are more easily separated by the consumer than strands ofdecorative grass having curled or crimped configurations which areintertwined in a cohesive mass. In addition, such method allows for easyremoval of a portion of the stands of decorative grass and easy storageof the remaining portion of the decorative grass for future use.However, it is to be understood that the present invention is notlimited to curling the decorative grass at the point of sale or thepoint of use, and decorative grass formed as described above may becurled at the point of production, if desired.

Optionally, the sheet or web of laminated material 70 may be curled byexposure to heat prior to cutting or shredding the sheet or web oflaminated material 70 to form decorative grass. Shown in FIG. 8 is thesheet or web of laminated material 70 which has been exposed to heat,and therefore a curl has been formed along the length 76 thereof.Following curling of the sheet or web of laminated material 70, thecurled sheet or web of laminated material 70 and/or the strands ofdecorative grass formed therefrom may be retained in a constrainedcondition as described in detail hereinabove which provides asubstantially flat configuration thereto until such constraints areremoved, thereby allowing the sheet or web of laminated material 70 orthe strands of decorative grass formed therefrom to assume the relaxed,curled configuration.

In addition, while it is described and illustrated herein that the sheetor web of laminated material 70, and therefore the strands of decorativegrass formed therefrom, is provided with a curl along the length 76thereof, it is to be understood that the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 70, as well as the strands of decorative grass formedtherefrom, may be provided with a curl along the width 78 thereof, orthe curl may be disposed diagonally and span both the length 76 andwidth 78 thereof.

Such strands of decorative grass may also be attached to an attachmentpoint, as described in detail herein below. By providing an attachmentpoint of the same material or dissimilar material to the individualstrands of decorative grass, the strands of decorative grass can bemanipulated in an easier manner, by holding the individual strands ofdecorative grass in the same direction and in substantially the sameconfiguration and by preventing unwanted intertwining and comingling ofthe individual strands of decorative grass.

Other methods of providing the second sheet or web of material with asubstantially flat configuration which can be activated to form a curledor crimped configuration may be utilized. Shown in FIG. 9 is a sheet orweb of laminated material 90 from which decorative grass can be producedin accordance with the present invention. The sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 90 has an upper surface 92, a lower surface 94, a length 96 anda width 98.

The sheet or web of laminated material 90 includes a first sheet or webof material 100 and a second sheet or web of material 102. The firstsheet or web of material 100 has an upper surface 104 and a lowersurface 106 and is provided with a substantially flat configuration. Thesecond sheet or web of material 102 has an upper surface 108 and a lowersurface 110 and is also provided with a substantially flatconfiguration. At least a portion of the upper surface 108 of the secondsheet or web of material 102 is laminated to the lower surface 106 ofthe first sheet or web of material 100.

The second sheet or web of material 102 may be constructed of anymaterial capable of having another sheet or web of material laminatedthereto and capable of functioning as described herein. For example, thesecond sheet or web of material 102 may be constructed from paper,creped paper, polymeric film, wax paper, paper having a shape sustainingagent or laquer applied to at least a portion of one surface thereof,foil, metallized film, cloth, burlap and any combination or laminationthereof.

The first sheet or web of material 100 contains a hygroscopic agent 112which is activated by exposure to moisture, wherein the hygroscopicagent 112 expands upon exposure to moisture and thereby imparts a curlto the first sheet or web of material 100 and thus to the sheet or webof laminated material 90 formed therefrom and/or to the strands ofdecorative grass cut from the sheet or web of laminated material 90. Thehygroscopic agent 112 may be incorporated in the first sheet or web ofmaterial 100 upon formation of the first sheet or web of material 100,or the hygroscopic agent 112 may be applied to at least a portion of oneof the upper and lower surfaces 104 and 106 of the first sheet or web ofmaterial 100. For example, as shown in FIG. 9, the hygroscopic agent 112is incorporated in a lacquer, such as an acrylic lacquer 114, which isapplied to at least a portion of the upper surface 104 of the firstsheet or web of material 100.

The term “hygroscopic agent” as used herein will be understood to referto any material which can be applied to or incorporated in a sheet orweb of material or a lacquer applied to the sheet or web of material andwhich expands or swells upon exposure to moisture. Many types ofhygroscopic agents are known to those of ordinary skill in the art andcould be utilized in the manner described herein. In particular, gelatinand pectin have been utilized as hygroscopic agents in the mannerdescribed herein; however, the invention is not limited to the use ofsuch compounds as hygroscopic agents.

The sheet or web of laminated material 90 may be shredded or cut toproduce decorative grass wherein the individual strands of decorativegrass are provided with a substantially linear, flat configuration. Thestrands of decorative grass may be packaged, stored, shipped anddisplayed in such a substantially linear, flat configuration, allowingthe consumer to curl the decorative grass at the point of sale and/oruse by exposing the strands of decorative grass to moisture. In thismanner, the substantially flat, individual strands of decorative grassare more easily separated by the consumer than strands of decorativegrass having curled or crimped configurations which are intertwined in acohesive mass. In addition, such method allows for easy removal of aportion of the stands of decorative grass and easy storage of theremaining portion of the decorative grass for future use. However, it isto be understood that the present invention is not limited to curlingthe decorative grass at the point of sale or the point of use, anddecorative grass formed as described above may be curled at the point ofproduction, if desired.

Optionally, the sheet or web of laminated material 90 may be curled byexposure to moisture prior to cutting or shredding to form decorativegrass. Shown in FIG. 10 is the sheet or web of laminated material 90which has been exposed to moisture, and therefore a curl has been formedalong the length 96 thereof. Following curling of the sheet or web oflaminated material 90, the curled sheet or web of laminated material 90and/or the strands of decorative grass formed therefrom may be retainedin a constrained manner as described in detail hereinabove whichprovides a substantially flat configuration thereto until suchconstraints are removed, thereby allowing the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 90 or the strands of decorative grass formed therefrom toassume the relaxed, curled configuration.

In addition, while it is described and illustrated herein that the sheetor web of laminated material 90, and therefore the strands of decorativegrass formed therefrom, is provided with a curl along the length 96thereof, it is to be understood that the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 90, as well as the strands of decorative grass formedtherefrom, may be provided with a curl along the width 98 thereof, orthe curl may be disposed diagonally and span both the length 96 andwidth 98 thereof.

Such strands of decorative grass may also be attached to an attachmentpoint, as described in detail herein below. By providing an attachmentpoint of the same material or dissimilar material to the individualstrands of decorative grass, the strands of decorative grass can bemanipulated in an easier manner, by holding the individual strands ofdecorative grass in the same manner and in substantially the sameconfiguration and by preventing unwanted intertwining and comingling ofthe individual strands of decorative grass.

It is to be understood that the present invention is not limited to theuse of laminated materials when heat shrinkable and hygroscopicmaterials are utilized as activatable curling agents. For example, thedecorative grass may be formed of an unlaminated sheet or web ofmaterial having a lacquer containing a hygroscopic agent disposed on atleast a portion of one surface thereof. In a further alternative, asheet or web of heat shrinkable material may be formed by extruding witha multiple extruder into the same die or into different dies two resinsthat contract at a different rate when heated or exposed to moisture. Inyet another alternative, a sheet or web of heat shrinkable material maybe formed by extruding through a multiple screw extruder or throughmultiple extruders by placing resin into the same die or into multipledies different melt temperature webs and pulling the material away fromthe die after one of the webs has partially or completely solidified,thereby imparting stress or stretch in one of the webs which is a lesseramount of stretch than in the other web. Optionally, the beforedescribed method may be utilized with the stretch occurring after bothwebs have solidified. Any of the above described methods may be utilizedwherein one web is mated to the other web within the flow of resinoccurring at an angle to the first web, thereby imparting a differentialcontraction level at an angle to the machine direction, therebyfacilitating production of helically curled strands of decorative grass.In addition, any of the above described methods may be utilized togetherand alternated so as to cause varying curls in the same strand ordifferent strands of decorative grass cut from the same web.

Another method of causing a sheet or web of material from whichdecorative grass is produced to curl involves coextruding a shrinkablematerial with a non-shrinkable material and heating them subsequently.Such method may be used in conjunction with prestretching the film at orafter the time of extrusion. Indeed, any of the methods described hereinwhich include the use of heat shrinkable materials may also be combinedwith the method of prestretching the sheet or web of material from whichthe decorative grass is produced.

In addition, it is also to be understood that the present invention isnot limited to the use of heat shrinkable and hygroscopic materials asactivatable curling agents which allow the decorative grass to be curledupon activation. The present invention also envisions other activatablecurling agents, such as the use of chemicals which will curl thedecorative grass upon treatment with solvents or other chemicals, aswell as other methods of incorporating activatable curling agents whichare known to those of ordinary skill in the art.

Another method of curling the decorative grass at the point of sale orthe point of use involves simply stretching the strands of decorativegrass to impart a curled configuration thereto.

While methods of providing decorative grass with a curled configurationhave been described herein, all of the above described methods can beused to provide decorative grass with configurations other than curls.For example, rather than applying differentially expanding orcontracting materials in an overall or uniform manner, such materialsmay be applied in a manner which allows the contracting or expandingmaterial to be applied at only certain points, or such materials may beapplied at differential thicknesses at different points, or, in the caseof the hygroscopic materials, such materials may be applied withbarriers to moisture absorption at certain points. Application of suchmaterials in the above described methods results in differential foldingof the strands of decorative grass, and rather than having a curl ofroughly smooth and uniform dimensions, a crimped material or acombination of crimped and curled material could be achieved.

Additionally in lieu of applying the above-noted expanding orcontracting materials to a sheet or web of material in the form ofstrips, such materials could be applied in any shape, such as a circle,so that when contraction occurs, a three dimensional configuration wouldbe formed which could serve decorative and/or cushioning and/orinsulating purposes.

In a further alternative, the strands of decorative grass need not becurled solely in a concentric or torsion spring manner or in a helicalor bed spring-type manner, resulting from differential contraction orexpansion across the length of the strands, but such strands could alsobe curled or curved due to differential contraction or expansion acrossthe width of the strand.

Description of FIGS. 11-12B

Several methods of shredding a sheet or web of material to producedecorative grass or other decorative elements are known in the art andmay be utilized to produce the decorative grass of the present inventionfrom the sheets or webs of material described herein. For example, U.S.Pat. No. 5,891,286, which has previously been incorporated herein byreference, discloses methods and apparatus for producing decorativegrass and decorative elements such as glitter, and such methods may beutilized to cut the sheets or webs of material described herein toproduce the decorative grass of the present invention. In addition, anyof the methods known in the art may be utilized to shred the sheet orweb of material parallel to a stretch, curl or crimp disposed therein,or perpendicular to the stretch, curl or crimp, or at an angle to thestretch, curl or crimp.

Optionally, shown in FIGS. 11 and 11A is a system 150 for producingdecorative grass in accordance with the present invention. The system150 is a rotary knife-type shredder assembly and includes a first set ofblades 152 and a second set of blades 154. The first set of blades 152are disposed on a first mandrel 156 and the second set of blades 154 aredisposed on a second mandrel 158. Each individual blade of the first setof blades 152 has a first side 153 and a second side 155, while eachindividual blade of the second set of blades 154 has a first side 157and a second side 159.

When the first mandrel 156 is rotated in a direction 160 while thesecond mandrel 158 is rotated in a direction 162, as illustrated in FIG.11, the first and second set of blades 152 and 154 overlap such that thesecond side 155 of each individual blade of the first set of blades 152is in contact with the first side 157 of an individual blade of thesecond set of blades 154 (FIG. 11A), and a sheet or web of material,such as one of the sheets or webs of laminated material 10, 50, 70 or 90described herein above (the sheet or web of material 10 shown in FIG. 11for illustration purposes only), is passed in between the first andsecond set of blades 152 and 154, thereby resulting in shredding of thesheet or web of material to form individual strands of decorative grass164. The individual blades of the first and second set of blades 152 and154 are positioned at a certain distance away from one another, and agap 166 formed by this distance determines the width of the individualstrands of decorative grass 164.

The system 150 can be employed to cut sheets of material so as toproduce strands of decorative grass 164 having a predetermined lengthbased on the length of the sheet of material, or the system 150 can beemployed to cut rolls of material to form a shredded roll of material,in which case the individual strands of decorative grass 164 having adesired predetermined length would have to be cut from the shredded rollof material subsequent to the shredding process. Such a method ofshredding a web or roll of material and subsequently cutting theshredded roll of material into individual strands of decorative grasshas been disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/586,901, which has previouslybeen expressly incorporated herein by reference. Other methods ofshredding a web or roll of material and subsequently cutting theshredded web or roll of material into individual strands of decorativegrass are known in the art and may be utilized in accordance with thepresent invention.

Shown in FIGS. 12 and 12A is a system 150 for producing decorative grass150 a. The system 150 a is similar to the system 150 described hereinabove, except that the system 150 a has been adapted so as to leaveuncut areas in the sheet or web of material passed through the system150 a which serve as a attached point for the strands of decorativegrass. The system 150 a includes a first set of blades 152 a disposed ona first mandrel 156 a and a second set of blades 154 a disposed on asecond mandrel 158 a. When the first mandrel 156 a is rotated in adirection 160 a and the second mandrel 158 a is rotated in a direction162 a, the blades of the first and second set of blades 152 a and 154 aoverlap and touch with side pressure, and a gap 166 a between individualblades of the first and second set of blades 152 a and 154 a (FIG. 12A)determine the width of individual strands of decorative grass 164 aformed from a sheet or web of material (the sheet or web of material 10illustrated in FIG. 12 for illustration purposes only) passed betweenthe first and second set of blades 152 a and 154 a of the system forproducing decorative grass 150 a. In addition, the first mandrel 156 amoves up and down at an angle, as indicated by an arrow 168 in FIG. 12A,thereby allowing the first set of blades 152 a to engage and disengagethe second set of blades 154 a. When the first set of blades 152 adisengage the second set of blades 154 a, an attachment area or header170 (FIG. 12B) is formed in which the individual strands of decorativegrass 164 a are connected. Shown in FIG. 12B is a group of individualstrands of decorative grass 164 a produced from the system 150 a,wherein the individual strands of decorative grass 164 a are connectedto each other via the attachment area or header 170. The length of thesheet or web of material which passes through the system 150 a while thefirst mandrel 156 a is raised and the first and second set of blades 152a and 154 a are disengaged determines the length of the attachment areaor header 170 to which the strands of decorative grass 164 a areattached.

Description of FIGS. 13-19

Shown in FIG. 13 is another system 180 for producing decorative grass180 in accordance with the present invention. The system 180 is a rotaryknife-type shredder which has a first set of blades 182 and a second setof blades 184. As shown in FIG. 13A, each individual blade of the firstset of blades 182 has a first side 186 and a second side 188; and eachindividual blade of the second set of blades 184 has a first side 190and a second side 192. The first set of blades 182 are disposed on afirst mandrel 194 while the second set of blades 184 are disposed on asecond mandrel 196. When the first mandrel 194 is rotated in a direction198 and the second mandrel 196 is rotated in a direction 200, asillustrated in FIG. 13, the first and second set of blades 182 and 184overlap, substantially as shown in FIG. 13A, such that the first side186 of an individual blade of the first set of blades 182 touches thesecond side 192 of an individual blade of the second set of blades 182,while the second side 188 of an individual blade of the first set ofblades 182 touches the first side 190 of an individual blade of thesecond set of blades 184.

A sheet or web of material, such as one of the sheets or webs oflaminated material 10, 50, 70 or 90 described herein above (the sheet orweb of laminated material 10 shown in FIG. 13 for illustration purposesonly) may be passed between the overlapping region of the first andsecond set of blades 182 and 184, resulting in shredding of the sheet orweb of laminated material 10 to form individual strands of decorativegrass 202.

The individual blades of the first set of blades 182 are provided with awidth 204, and the individual blades of the second set of blades 184 areprovided with a width 206, and the widths 204 and 206 are substantiallythe same. The widths 204 and 206 determine the width of the individualstrands of decorative grass 202.

The system 180 can cut sheets of material so as to produce strands ofdecorative grass 202 having a predetermined length based on the lengthof the sheet of material, or the system 180 can cut rolls of material toform a shredded roll of material, in which case the individual strandsof decorative grass 202 having a desired predetermined length would haveto be cut from the shredded roll of material subsequent to the shreddingprocess. Such a method of shredding a web or roll of material andsubsequently cutting into individual strands of decorative grass hasbeen disclosed in U.S. Ser. No. 09/586,901, which has previously beenexpressly incorporated herein by reference. Other methods of shredding aweb or roll of material and subsequently cutting into individual strandsof decorative grass are known in the art and may be utilized inaccordance with the present invention.

Shown in FIGS. 14 and 14A is a system 180 a for producing decorativegrass in accordance with the present invention. The system 180 a issimilar to the system 180 described herein above, except that the system180 a has been adapted so as to leave uncut areas in the sheet or web ofmaterial passed there through which serve as attachment area or a headerfor the strands of decorative grass. The system 180 a includes a firstset of blades 182 a disposed on a first mandrel 194 a and a second setof blades 184 a disposed on a second mandrel 196 a. As shown in FIG.14A, each individual blade of the first set of blades 182 a has a firstside 186 a and a second side 188 a; and each individual blade of thesecond set of blades 184 a has a first side 190 a and a second side 192a. When the first mandrel 194 a is rotated in a direction 198 a and thesecond mandrel 196 a is rotated in a direction 200 a, as illustrated inFIG. 14, the first and second set of blades 182 a and 184 a overlap,substantially as shown in FIG. 14 a. Thus, the first side 186 a of anindividual blade of the first set of blades 182 a touches the secondside 192 a of an individual blade of the second set of blades 184 a,while the second side 188 a of an individual blade of the first set ofblades 182 a touches the first side 190 a of an individual blade of thesecond set of blades 184 a.

A sheet or web of material, such as the sheet or web of laminatedmaterial 10 shown in FIG. 14 for illustration purposes only, may bepassed between the overlapping region of the first and second set ofblades 182 a and 184 a, resulting in shredding of the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 to form individual strands of decorative grass 202a.

The individual blades of the first set of blades 182 a are provided witha width 204 a, and the individual blades of the second set of blades 184a are provided with a width 206 a, and the widths 204 a and 206 a aresubstantially the same. The widths 204 a and 206 a determine the widthof the individual strands of decorative grass 202 a.

In the system 180 a, the first set of blades 182 a is provided with aradius notch 208. Upon rotation of the first mandrel 194 a in thedirection 198 a and the second mandrel 196 a in the direction 200 a, theregion of the first set of blades 182 a containing the radius notch 208does not contact a sheet or web of material (such as the sheet or web oflaminated material 10 shown in FIG. 14), and therefore the sheet or webof material which passes through the system 180 a between the second setof blades 184 a and the radius notch 208 of the first set of blades 182a is not cut but rather is left intact to form an attachment area orheader 210 to which the individual strands of decorative grass 202 apreviously cut from the sheet or web of material are connected. Shown inFIG. 14 b is a group of individual strands of decorative grass 202 aproduced from the system 180 a in which the individual strands ofdecorative grass 202 a are connected to each other via the attachmentarea or header 210.

Shown in FIGS. 15-19 are various stages of the system 180 a forproducing decorative grass. Shown in FIG. 14 is the initial contactbetween the radius notch 208 of the first set of blades 182 a and thesecond set of blades 184 a. In FIG. 15, a first portion of the radiusnotch 208 of the first set of blades 182 a is in contact with the secondset of blades 184 a such that the sheet or web of material 10 passedtherebetween is not being split but rather is forming a lower portion ofthe attachment area or header 210. In FIG. 16, all of the radius notch208 of the first set of blades 182 a is in contact with the second setof blades 184 a such that the sheet or web of material 10 passedtherebetween is forming the attachment area or header 210. In FIG. 17, aportion of the radius notch 208 of the first set of blades 182 a isstill in contact with the second set of blades 184 a and forming anupper portion of the attachment area or header 210, while anotherportion of the first set of blades 182 a is contacting the second set ofblades 184 a such that the sheet or web of material 10 passed betweenthis connection is cut to release the strands of decorative grass 202 ahaving the attachment area or header 210 connected thereto, and theportion of the sheet or web of material 10 is then again being shreddedto form another section of individual strands of decorative grass 202 a.As shown in FIGS. 18 and 19, the radius notch 208 of the first set ofblades 182 a moves beyond the second set of blades 184 a such that theconnection between the first and second set of blades 182 a and 184 a isblade-to-blade, as shown in FIG. 14 a. It is important to note in FIGS.15-19 that the first set of blades 182 a never totally disengages thesecond set of blades 184 a.

Description of FIGS. 20-20A

Shown in FIG. 20 is a system 220 for producing decorative grass inaccordance with the present invention. The system 220 is a scorecutting-style arrangement shredding process. The system 220 includes aset of blades 222 disposed on a blade mandrel 224, and a hardenedmandrel 226, which is made of a substantially shape sustaining material.The set of blades 222 disposed on the blade mandrel 224 are in downwardphysical contact with the hardened mandrel 226. A sheet or web ofmaterial, such as the sheet or web of laminated material 10 shown inFIG. 20 for purposes of illustration only, is passed between the blademandrel 224 and the hardened mandrel 226, and when the blade mandrel 224is rotated in a direction 228 and the hardened mandrel 226 is rotated ina direction 230, the sheet or web of material comes into contact withthe set of blades 222 and is shredded to form individual strands ofdecorative grass 232. The individual blades of the set of blades 222 aredisposed at a distance 234 from each other, and the distance 234determines the width of the individual strands of decorative grass 232.

The system 220 can produce individual strands of decorative grass 232from sheets of material wherein the strands of decorative grass 232 havea predetermined length based on the length of the sheet of material, orthe system 220 can cut rolls of material to form a shredded roll ofmaterial, in which case the individual strands of decorative grass 232having a desired predetermined length would have to be cut from theshredded roll of material subsequent to the shredding process. Such amethod of shredding a web or roll of material and subsequently cuttinginto individual strands of decorative grass has been disclosed in U.S.Ser. No. 09/586,901, which has previously been incorporated by referenceherein. Other methods of shredding a web or roll of material andsubsequently cutting into individual strands of decorative grass areknown in the art and may be utilized in accordance with the presentinvention.

Description of FIGS. 21-21B

Shown in FIGS. 21 and 21A is a system 220 a for producing decorativegrass in accordance with the present invention. The system 220 a issimilar to the system 220 described herein above, except that the system220 a has been adapted so as to leave uncut areas in the sheet or web ofmaterial passed there through which serves as an attachment area for thestrands of decorative grass. The system 220 a includes a set of blades222 a disposed on a blade mandrel 224 a, and a hardened mandrel 226 a,which is made of a substantially shape sustaining material. The set ofblades 222 a disposed on the blade mandrel 224 a are in downwardphysical contact with the hardened mandrel 226 a. A sheet or web ofmaterial, such as the sheet or web of laminated material 10 shown inFIG. 21 for purposes of illustration only, is passed between the blademandrel 224 a and the hardened mandrel 226 a, and when the blade mandrel224 a is rotated in a direction 228 a and the hardened mandrel 226 a isrotated in a direction 230 a, the sheet or web of material 10 comes intocontact with the set of blades 222 a and is shredded to form individualstrands of decorative grass 232 a. The individual blades of the set ofblades 222 a are disposed at a distance 234 a from each other, and thedistance 234 a determines the width of the individual strands ofdecorative grass 232 a.

In addition, the blade mandrel 224 a moves up and down off of thehardened mandrel 226 a by use of an air cylinder or cam in thedirections indicated by an arrow 236 (FIG. 21A), thereby raising the setof blades 222 a out of contact with the hardened mandrel 226 a and thusthe sheet or web of material 10 passed between the blade mandrel 224 aand the hardened mandrel 226 a. When the blade mandrel 224 a is moved inan upward direction as indicated by the arrow 236 such that the set ofblades 222 a disengage the hardened mandrel 226 a, an attachment area orheader 238 (FIG. 21B) is formed in which the individual strands ofdecorative grass 232 a are connected. Shown in FIG. 21B is a group ofindividual strands of decorative grass 232 a produced from the system220 a wherein the individual strands of decorative grass 232 a areconnected to each other via the attachment area or header 238. Thelength of the sheet or web of material which passes through the systemfor producing decorative grass 220 a while the blade mandrel 224 a israised in the direction indicated by the arrow 236, so as to disengagethe set of blades 222 a from the hardened mandrel 226 a determines thelength of the attachment area or header 238 to which the strands ofdecorative grass 232 a are attached.

Description of FIGS. 22 and 23

Shown in FIG. 22 are two sheets of curlable segments of decorative grass250. The two sheets of curlable segments of decorative grass 250 aresubstantially normally disposed relative to one another; and each sheetof curlable segment of decorative grass 250 has a plurality ofindividual segments 252 connected to an attachment area or header 254.The sheets of curlable decorative grass 250 can be fabricated of any ofthe materials herein before described so that a curl can be imparted tothe sheets of curlable decorative grass 250 at or near the point of saleor use of one or more sheets of curlable decorative grass 250. Anymethod for imparting a curl to the segments 250 of the curlable sheetsof curlable decorative grass 250 herein before described can be employedand the particular method chosen will be determined by the end user.However, it should be understood that the method for imparting a curl tothe segments 250 is not limited to the methods described herein, butinclude any method and/or apparatus known within the art. For example,the methods and apparatus for providing a curl to the segment 250 or toany sheet and/or web of material hereinbefore or hereinafter describedinclude the methods and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,324B1, entitled “Method for Making Curled Decorative Grass”, issued toWeder et al on Aug. 20, 2002, the entire contents of which is herebyexpressly incorporated herein by reference.

While only two sheets of curlable decorative grass 250 have been shown,it should be understood that additional sheets of curlable decorativegrass 250 can be employed to form a start of sheets of curlabledecorative grass, and that eahc of the sheets and curlable decorativegrass 250 has been shown as a single sheet or layer, laminates can alsobe employed as the sheet of curlable decorative grass 250.

Shown in FIG. 23 are two sheets of decorative grass 260 wherein adestortion, such as a curl, has been imparted to each of the sheets ofthe decorative grass 260. It should be noted that while the destortionhas been shown as a curl, the destortion may be a crimp and/or a crimpand a curl as herein before described. The two sheets of decorativegrass 260 are substantially normally disposed relative to one another;and each sheet of decorative grass 260 has a plurality of segments 262connected to an attachment area or header 264. The sheets of decorativegrass 260 can be fabricated of any of the materials herein beforedescribed; and as previously stated, the distortion can be formedutilizing any method herein before described or known and can includecurls having various configurations, crimps and combination of curls andcrimps, included but not limited to the methods and apparatus disclosedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,324 B1 which has been previously incorporatedherein by reference. The segments 262 of each of the sheets ofdecorative grass 260 are desirably retained in a substantially flattenedcondition prior to use at or near the point of sale. To ensure that thesegments 262 of each of the sheets of decorative grass 260 aremaintained in a substantially flat condition prior to use and/or sale,the sheets of decorative grass 260 may be disposed in a bag or packageof sufficient rigidity which is sized to retain the sheets of decorativegrass in a substantially flat configuration, thus preventing thesegments 262 of the sheets of decorative grass 260 from curling or beingdistorted prior to use and/or sale.

Description of FIG. 24

Referring now to FIG. 24 shown therein is a cutaway perspective view ofa package 270 containing a plurality of sheets 271 which have been atleast partially cut to provide side by side strips 272 which can becurled to form curled decorative grass. The package 270 includes anenclosure or box 273 having an opening 274 near one end 275 thereof anda curling tool 276 disposed within or aligned with the opening 274 suchthat upon pulling one of the sheets 271 from the package 270 and drawingthe sheet 271 over the curling tool 276, a curl is imparted to thestrips 272 of the sheets 271 at or near the point of use or sale of oneor more of the sheets 271. While the package 270 is shown as being asubstantially rectangular shaped enclosure 273 sized and configured tocontain a plurality of sheets 271, it should be understood that thepackage 270 can be provided with any suitable configuration as long asit is capable of containing the sheets, such as the sheets 271.

The sheets 271, in addition to the plurality of side by side strips 272includes an attachment area or header 278 to which the strips 272 areconnected. It should be noted that while the enclosure 270 has beenshown as containing a plurality of sheets 271, individual strips whichcan be curled by pulling over the curling tool 276 to impart the desiredcurl thereto can be stored within the enclosure 273, and the package 270may include a roll of material (not shown) formed of a plurality of sideby side strips. When using a roll of material, a predetermined amount ofa material is unrolled and passed over the curling tool 276. The curledstrips of material are then severed from the roll of material by anyconventional cutting element, such as sizzors, a cutting edge and thelike.

The material from which the sheets are fabricated can be any of thematerials herein before described, including laminates thereof.Similarly, the curling tool can be any curling tool well known in theart and can be a single bar curling tool, a multiple bar curling tooland the like. The configuration of the curling tool, as well as thenumber of curling tools employed will vary depending upon the particularconfiguration of curl imparted to the sheet of material and the and/orstrips.

While the curling tool 276 has been shown as being incorporated into thepackage 270 (FIG. 24), it should be understood that the curling tool 276assembly can be located separate of the package 270, in which case thecurling tool will desirably be positioned near the point of sale and/oruse of the decorative grass.

Several prior art methods and apparatus can be employed for providing acurl or a crimp to the sheet or strand of decorative grass. An exampleof such a method and apparatus is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,891,286,and U.S. Pat. No. 6,436,324, each of which has previously beenincorporated herein by reference. However, is to be understood that themethod and apparatus for imparting a curl to sheet of decorative grassis not limited to the use of such methods and apparatus, and any methodknown in the art for providing a curl and/or crimp to a sheet or strandof material may be utilized in accordance with the present invention forimparting a curl and/or crimp to a sheet or strand of material removedfrom a package.

It is to be understood that any method of forming the decorative grassof the present invention, such as the systems for producing decorativegrass described herein as well as any method known in the art, could beperformed in line with an extrusion operation using razor blades or anyother cutting method, shredding in wider strips and stretching thesestrips to form narrower and thinner strips.

As stated above, the sheet or web of material from which the decorativegrass is produced may be provided in a substantially flat configurationand cut or shredded to produce strands of decorative grass having asubstantially flat configuration, or the sheet or web of material fromwhich the decorative grass is produced may be curled prior to cutting.The sheet or web of material may be placed under stress, causing thesheet or web of material to temporarily assume a substantially flatconfiguration, and upon shredding, the strands of decorative grassformed therefrom may be retained in the substantially flat configurationuntil curling or crimping is desired, or the strands of decorative grasscut from the sheet or web of material may be allowed to curl or crimpupon shredding from the sheet or web of material. In a third option, thesheet or web of material may be curled and cut or shredded in such acurled or crimped configuration. The strands of decorative grass formedtherefrom may then be exposed to sufficient pressure to cause thestrands of decorative grass to assume a substantially flat configurationuntil crimping or curling is desired, at which time the strands ofdecorative grass are released from such pressure and allowed to relaxand curl or crimp. Any of the above described embodiments may also beemployed with strands of decorative grass attached at an attachment areaor header.

Changes may be made in the construction and the operation of the variouscomponents, elements and assemblies described herein or in the steps orthe sequence of steps of the methods described herein without departingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the followingclaims.

1. A method of providing a curled or crimped decorative grass at a pointof use or a point of sale, the method comprising: providing at least onesheet or web of material at a point of sale or use, the at least onesheet or web of material capable of having a curl or a crimp impartedthereto; forming a curl or crimp in the at least one sheet or web ofmaterial at the point of sale or use to form a distortion in the atleast one sheet or web of material; and cutting the sheet or web ofmaterial having the distortion formed therein into strands of decorativegrass at the point of sale or use of the decorative grass.
 2. A methodof providing a curled decorative grass at a point of use or a point ofsale, the method comprising: providing at least one curled sheet or webof material at a point of sale or use; maintaining pressure on the atleast one curled sheet or web of material to maintain the curled sheetor web of material in a substantially flat configuration; and cuttingthe curled sheet or web of material into strands of decorative grass atthe point of sale or use of the decorative grass while the curled sheetor web of material is maintained in the substantially flatconfiguration.
 3. A method of providing a curled decorative grass at apoint of use or a point of sale, the method comprising: providing atleast one curled sheet or web of material at a point of sale or use; andcutting the curled sheet or web of material into strands of decorativegrass at the point of sale or use of the decorative grass.
 4. A methodof providing a curled decorative grass at a point of use or a point ofsale, the method comprising: providing at least one sheet or web ofmaterial at a point of sale or use, the at least one sheet of web ofmaterial having a preset distortion therein; and cutting the curledsheet or web of material having the preset distortion therein intostrands to provide decorative grass at the point of sale or use of thedecorative grass wherein at least a portion of the strands have thepreset distortion.
 5. The method of claim 4 wherein the presetdistortion is selected from the group consisting of curls, crimps andcombinations thereof.
 6. The method of claim 4 wherein, in the step ofproviding at least one sheet or web of material at a point of sale oruse, the at least one sheet of material comprises a header having aplurality a strips of material connected thereto and wherein the presetdistortion is at least one curl imparted to at least the plurality ofstrips of material and wherein in the step of cutting the curled sheetor web of material having the preset distortion, the header is removedfrom the plurality of strips of material to provide curled segments ofdecorative grass at the point of sale or use of the decorative grass. 7.The method of claim 4 wherein, in the step of providing at least onesheet or web of material at a point of sale or use, the at least onesheet or web of material is a laminated material having a preset curlformed therein.
 8. The method of claim 4 wherein, in the step ofproviding at least one sheet or web of material at a point of sale oruse, the at least one sheet or web of material is a laminated materialhaving a preset curl formed therein, and wherein the laminated materialis prepared by the steps of: providing a first sheet or web of material;providing a second sheet or web of material, one of the first and secondsheets or webs of material having a size less than the other sheet ofmaterial; stretching the sheet or web of material having a size lessthan the other sheet or web of material to provide a stretched sheet orweb of material; and laminating the stretched sheet or web of materialto the other sheet or web of material to form the laminated materialhaving a preset curl formed therein.
 9. A method for providing curleddecorative grass at a point of sale or use of the curled decorativegrass, the method comprising: providing a plurality of sheets or a webof material capable of having a curl imparted thereto at a point of saleor use of the curled decorative grass; providing curling tool capable ofimparting a curl to the sheets or web of material when the sheets or webof material is brought into contact with the curling tool; contactingthe sheets or web of material with the curling tool so as to impart acurl to the sheets or webs of material and provide curled sheets or acurled web of material at the point of sale or use; and cutting thecurled sheets or web of material to provide curled decorative grass atthe point of sale or use of the curled decorative grass.
 10. The methodfor providing curled decorative grass at a point of sale or use of thecurled decorative grass of claim 9 wherein, in the step of cutting thecurled sheets or web of material to provide curled decorative grass atthe point of sale or use of the curled decorative grass, strands ofcurled decorative grass are held together via a header.
 11. An assemblyfor producing curled decorative grass at a point of use or sale, theassembly comprising: an enclosure containing a plurality of sheets orweb of material capable of having a curl imparted thereto, the enclosurehaving an opening therein for permitting removal of at least one sheetat a time or at least a portion of the web of material from theenclosure, the enclosure being located at or near a point of sale orpoint of use of curled decorative grass; and a curling tool forimparting a curl to the sheets or at least a portion of the web ofmaterial to provide curled sheets of a curled web material when at leastone of the sheets or at least a portion of the web of material arewithdrawn from the enclosure and brought into contact with curling toolat or near the point of sale or use of decorative grass; and a cuttingtool for cutting the curled sheets or the curled web material to providecurled decorative grass at or near the point of sale or use of thecurled decorative grass.